Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have found use in a variety of commercial applications, from agriculture to surveillance. One of the more useful applications of UAVs has been found in pairing the UAV with imaging sensors (e.g., cameras) that allow the UAV to collect visual information for the purpose of creating topographic or three-dimensional (3D) models of an area or structure. Although satellites and/or airborne photogrammetry have been used in the past for these types of applications, the cost and time associated with receiving the desired images is much greater than that offered by a UAV. In addition, satellites and aircraft only provide a top view of the area being imaged, and are therefore inadequate for many applications in which different angles are required.
Camera-equipped UAVs solve a number of these problems. However, generation of accurate three-dimensional (3D) scans of landscapes, buildings, etc., requires coordination between the location of the UAV and orientation of the camera. Typically, this requires setting a pre-defined flight plan of the UAV and collecting image data. Subsequently, the image data is analyzed and reconstructed to form 3-D models of the area scanned, and then subsequent flights are planned to image areas in which image information is insufficient. As a result, both the time and cost required to scan the desired area becomes prohibitive.
Therefore, it would be desirable to develop a system that decreases the time and cost of generating scans based on sensors mounted to UAVs.